My Brother

Pairing; Hiccup X Astrid

Setting; Normal HTTYD

Rating;M for Mature

Disclaimer; I do not own the HTTYD movies, Riders of Berk, Defenders of Berk, and Gift of the Night Fury, or the Netflix series Race to the Edge.

Find Out For Myself

=Hiccup's POV=

"Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third!" I quickly stopped my movements from my attempted escape from the Great Hall after breakfast when my father's loud voice rang throughout the room. Almost instantly everything fell quiet as eyes fell on me right by the doors that would lead out to what I considered freedom. I nervously glanced back at him standing up from his seat beside my mother to see his slightly aggravated face that I was trying to get out of chieftain training again.

"Y-Yeah, Dad?" I replied.

"Where do ya think you're going?" my father, Stoick the Vast Haddock inquired curiously.

"Uh, j-just for some fresh air outside," I began. "and to get to the cove where you can't find me," he muttered to himself.

"Not a chance, Hiccup," Stoick said. "We agreed that you would do your studies for chieftain training after breakfast," he added.

"I didn't agree, you didn't give me a choice," I replied with a sigh, "Then again, what's new?" I grumbled to myself about the fact that no matter what I said, my father always got his way when he wanted something. Since I had turned eighteen six months ago, my father had wanted me to start my chief training so I could take over when I became twenty or twenty-one-years-old. I guess he would make that decision depending on how well my training went. Of course, I wanted no part of this because I had no interest in becoming chief right now. Sure, I knew I would be the chief one day; I'm the only Heir to the Hairy Hooligan Tribe that resides on the Isle of Berk. Regardless, I was only eighteen, why did I have to do training and studies for the next year and a half or so? I was a fast learner; I didn't need a lot of time to learn anything new.

On a completely unrelated note, I knew how to do my Dad's job! For Odin's sake, I've seen how he runs the village, although, I high disagree with a lot of his methods. Huh, maybe I should take this more seriously? If I'm the chief, I could run this village my way, and it would likely go a lot smoother than how it did now. I did what to be chief, just not right now. I'm still young, I had things I wanted to do before all that responsibility got thrust upon my shoulders and I'd be busier than ever with no time to myself, friends, or girlfriend.

"Hiccup, we're not having this discussion again," my mother, Valka Haddock sighed heavily. "You're next in line for Berk, and then your son or daughter will continue the tradition," she reminded.

"Mom, I know how it works. You've explained it countless times since I turned eighteen. My memory is not that bad!" I responded as I leaned against the wall with my arms crossed over my chest and giving a huff of irritation about the situation. "I know that I have to do the studies about being chief, get married and give an Heir. Stop rushing me, would ya?"

"Lose the attitude with your mother, Hiccup," Stoick remarked as I closed my eyes with one leg up on the wall behind me. Yeah, there was no way I was getting out of this one.

"I don't have one. All I'm saying is that if you aren't planning to make me chief in the next six months than I don't need to do all this almost two years in advance. You know I'm a fast learner, and besides, you've had me as acting chief before and I'm pretty sure I did just fine," I informed him.

"Hiccup, we agreed you would start your chieftain training when you turned eighteen. Now, I gave ya the last six months to sit with that information. Time is up," Stoick said as I sighed heavily and turned my head to the side. "It's not like you have to do this all day, just a few hours of going over laws and traditions. When you turn nineteen, we'll get into you following me around and seeing ho-,"

"Seeing how things are done in the village, then you'll let me be stand-in chief while you trail me to make sure I'm doing it right. After that, you'll step aside to let me run things and finally, make me chief of the Tribe," I stated casually as my mother and father blinked at me. "Again, my memory isn't that bad," I added.

"Babe," I hear my future wife, Astrid Hofferson says gently. We've been best friends for years and started dating nine months ago. I knew I'd marry her because she was the love of my life and the only female I'd settle down with when it came time to become chief, have a wife and give an Heir to take my place after I retired. I glanced at her now, "The faster you go do this, the faster you will be done, and we can enjoy a picnic for lunch together," she offered. I got off the wall now and smiled as she approached, I kissed her forehead gently.

"Well, when you put it like that, I suppose a few hours doesn't seem so bad," I told her.

"Why is it that you agree for her and not for us?" Valka asked.

"Maybe because Astrid asked nicely and offered me something worth while. I study for a few hours, and then I'll get to enjoy lunch with her," I answered. "I'll see you at midday for a picnic on Thor's Beach, Milady?" I asked her now as she nodded to me with a smile. "Alright, Dad. Let's get this over with," I told him.

"Do I get something to think about while you're gone?" Astrid wondered. I chuckled a little and kissed her softly, not caring who saw.

"Will that do until lunch?" I asked after we broke apart.

"I suppose it will. If you make your father wait any longer he's going to ban you from seeing me," Astrid laughed a little.

"Nothing can keep me from seeing you," I told her as she nodded to me and we shared another short kiss before I released her and followed my father out of the Great Hall.

{Island Archives Room}

This room was sacred and only entered into by the Chief, his or her counsel during the time of rule, the elder of the village, and the Heir when his or her time came to start training. The Archives Room was small littered with books and documents from previous rulers over the years. At the moment, I was sitting at a small desk with a large book that held all of the Tribes laws and traditions up to date. Each time a new chieftain would come into power, the council would sit down to go over things and see if a change needed to get made. Even then, some couldn't be altered. Currently, I was still at the start of the book going over the laws regarding exiles, banishments, or cast outs. My father told me this would be a good place to start as it was a big chapter and boy, he was not kidding.

"Ugh, this sucks!" I groaned out as I sat back in the wooden chair with my hands over my eyes, then moving them to my head in an attempt to ease away a quick forming headache. I'd been reading this section for an hour and a half; I just got past punishments of treason and still so much more to go before I finished this. Dad said when I was done, I could be done with today's training session. I checked the number of pages I had left; eleven to go until the next chapter. I heard a knock on the door and saw Gobber, our village blacksmith poke his head inside.

"How goes the studying, lad?" Gobber asked. I shot him a look that said 'did you seriously just ask me that?' "I know, it's hard to take in," he mentioned.

"It's not hard, just a lot to get through and honestly, most of this I know already. You've told me during our times in the forge when I'm working on my inventions," I reminded calmly.

"I know, 'Iccup, but Viking law requires that the Heir has to go through everything even if they know it already," Gobber stated. "Oh, and if you want to see examples of how casting outs get done; there's a whole chest on that shelf. Everything from when your father started as chief when he was about nineteen or so," he added.

"Thanks," I sighed while placing the side of my face into my palm and put my elbow on the table while flipping through another page that talked about cast out from the Archipelago. "Wait, there's a way to get cast out from the Archipelago Islands?" I asked curiously.

"It takes a lot, but yes, very possible. I think it only happened two or three times during your father's rule here over the Tribe. Check that chest, should be in there somewhere," Gobber said. "I should go, not supposta be in here, but wanted to make sure you were alright," he smiled before leaving. I got up and moved to the shelf where a chest sat with my father's chief seal on it. I pulled it off and set it down on the wooden table as I opened it up and began searching through everything. I couldn't help but think how organized I could make this; the box was a mess. After scanning all the documents in the chest, I found nothing on what Gobber mentioned. Well, I did find two of the mentioned incidents, but not the third. As I was putting the papers back, I decided to place them in neatly and make a mental note to make sure that if I had to do any of this stuff, I'd keep it organized for my Heir to go through.

While placing the documents into the chest one by one, I noticed a paper stuck to another one. Curiosity rose as I carefully pulled the two apart and checked the one that I hadn't seen yet. Glancing at it, my eyes widened seeing the name of who was cast out.

Einar Haddock

Who the hell was this? I continued to read the sheet in my hands to hopefully figure this out. No such luck though. All the document said was that Einar Haddock got cast out from the Archipelago for Treason at the age of fifteen-years-old by a vote of all Viking Chieftains. I wasn't sure what to make of this. Who was Einar Haddock? A member of the Haddock family who committed treason and was cast from the Archipelago by group vote of the Chieftains in power at the time? I checked the document again; there was nothing about what the crime was, just that it was considered treason and bad enough to be cast not only from Berk but the entire Archipelago too.

I held the paper in my hands while putting everything else away and closing the laws and traditions book. After that was done, I left the room and found Gobber in the weaponry. "Gobber," I said quickly.

"Finished already?" Gobber blinked, I shook my head to him. "You know your father is gonna test you on-," he started.

"Gobber, I don't care. I needed to ask about this," I held up the paper to him. "W-Who is…Einar Haddock?" I inquired. Gobber froze and ended up dropping the sword he was holding in his hand.

"Where did you find this?" Gobber asked in a calm tone.

"In that chest. Gobber, who is Einar? I've…never heard of him," I said. Gobber sighed as he turned his head from me and closed his eyes. This was starting to freak me out, Gobber never did that, not to me anyway.

"Lad, do me a favor and forget you ever found this. Put it back and let it go," Gobber said before he walked away. I didn't understand this. Why would Gobber not tell me? I felt like this was suddenly a big deal. Well, Gobber wasn't the only one in the village. I'm sure someone had to know about this Einar guy and what he did.

{Two Hours Later}

I told Astrid that I had to cancel our date because something came up with the training, but I said I'd meet her for dinner in the field near my parent's house. I went around to everyone in the village who might know about this, and yet, I got the same response every single time.

"It doesn't matter,"

Why would everyone say that to me? Each time I asked, the villagers would get cold and look away with a scoff as if they were angry that I brought it up. This guy must have done something bad to get cast out by the Tribe, and then the Archipelago. I didn't even care so much about the reason anymore; I just wanted to know who Einar Haddock was because the guy had my last name and I knew all the members of my family, so why didn't this person sound familiar to me? I guess there were only two people left in the village to ask. My parents.

{Haddock Household}

I walked into the house and saw mom and dad sitting at the table together. "Hiccup, there you are. Finish that section I suggested already?" Stoick asks.

"Uh, yeah, sort of. I have like four pages left, but I-I needed a break. The light in that room is terrible for reading, and I got a headache. Um, can I…ask you guys about something?" I asked nervously.

"Depends on what it is," Valka said looking at me.

"Well, earlier Gobber stopped by to make sure I hadn't fallen asleep while studying and I asked him about something I read in the book about cast outs, that it's possible for someone to get cast from the Archipelago," I started.

"Alright, what are ya getting at, son?" Stoick wondered now. I sighed as I pulled the paper out from my pocket.

"I want to know who Einar Haddock is," I said firmly. Instantly, just like with Gobber, I watched them freeze. My mother's eyes widened, and my father's eyes narrowed angrily after the shock wore off. "This…says he was cast out at fifteen for treason, voted as so by the Viking Chieftains. I know every member of the Haddock family, so…who is this Einar guy?" I asked.

"Where did you find this, Hiccup?" Stoick stood up and took the paper from me.

"I-It was in the chest of documents on the shelf. Gobber said if I'd been looking for an example of what someone would do to get cast out from their Tribe and the Archipelago, that would be a good place to look. I found two others that said what they did, but this one was stuck to another and doesn't say the charge," I explained. "S-So…who is Einar and what did he do?"

"It doesn't matter," Stoick said as my eyes widened a bit. The same answer everyone else gave me when I asked today. "That enemy-siding menace got banished from Berk and the Archipelago nineteen-years-ago. That's all you need to know," he added.

"And…I get that, Dad, but…he's…got the Haddock family name. Is he…a distant relative?" I asked.

"That boy is not family anymore, and he was a traitor to all Vikings; he deserved his punishment and anything that followed afterward. And this," Stoick crumpled the paper, "was never meant to be found, forget you saw it, Hiccup," Stoick said as he tossed the paper into the burning fire. I didn't understand this, why did everyone tell me it didn't matter? Why did Mom and Dad want me to forget I found that paper? What was…everyone hiding from me? "Let it go, Hiccup. Einar is a nothing and a nobody. He is the past, and you are the future of Berk, son."

I didn't say anything else; I could tell that my parents, like the rest of the village didn't want to talk about whatever happened who this person was. However, there was something my father said that made me not want to let it go.

He is the past, and you are the future.

What had he meant by that? I couldn't turn a blind eye to whatever was going on. "We're going to the hall for dinner, son. Are you coming?" my mother asked.

"I-I'll be along in a bit. I'm going to lie down, wait for this headache to pass," I smiled at her. My parents nodded, and I went to my room, then sat on the edge of my bed in deep thought. 'So, this guy has to be family to me of some kind, and he was banished a year before I was born by the sounds of it. Also, he did something bad enough that nobody will talk about it or even tell me who he is. Well, everyone else can say it doesn't matter, but it does to me. And if no one is going to tell me, then I guess I'm just going to have to find out for myself,'